Americans United - Values Voter Summithttp://www.au.org/tags/values-voter-summit
enMy Five-Year Fight Against The Religious Right http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/my-five-year-fight-against-the-religious-right
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Goodbyes are frequently difficult, but this one seems especially so. After half a decade at Americans United, I am leaving to become the media relations manager for Small Business Majority. I am very excited about my new position. But at the same time I am frightened for the future of the United States and sad that so much work will need to be done in the coming years to defend religious liberty from attacks by the far right.</p>
<p>When I joined Americans United, I didn’t know much about the Religious Right. I’d never heard of the Family Research Council. The name James Dobson wasn’t familiar to me. And I didn’t know that the term “religious freedom” means very different things to different people.</p>
<p>Since then, I’ve <a href="http://au.org/church-state/october-2016-church-state/featured/trump-a-palooza">attended six Values Voter Summits</a> and multiple <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/straight-to-hell-texas-congressman-launches-inquisition-during-religious">hearings on Capitol Hill</a>. I’ve tangled (in writing) with <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/muddled-message-most-americans-support-the-first-amendment-but-many-remain">high-ranking Catholic bishops</a> and a creationist who wanted taxpayers <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/rocking-the-boat-fundamentalist-ministry-head-responds-to-au-s-ark-park">to fund a religious theme park</a> on his behalf. And most recently, I <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/americans-really-really-don-t-like-partisan-politicking-from-the-pulpit">explained the problems</a> with some of the right-wing approved proposals made by President-Elect Donald J. Trump.</p>
<p>So what did I learn? Despite years of talk by pundits that the Religious Right is dying, the truth is that movement isn’t in decline – at least as a political entity. It’s just evolving. There’s no denying that the term of President Barack Obama was a trying time for fundamentalist Christians who saw a Supreme Court ruling upholding marriage equality and increasing visibility by transgender rights activists, among other things they don’t like. But as was made very clear on Nov. 8 with Trump’s election, the far right is not dying. After all, legions of evangelical Christians <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/11/09/exit-polls-show-white-evangelicals-voted-overwhelmingly-for-donald-trump/">voted for the real estate mogul</a> in the hope that he will do their bidding and they’re going to find out if they bet on the right pony.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/CrowdHatWave%202.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 533px;" /></p>
<p><em>I'm really going to miss attending the Values Voter Summit -- well, maybe not. </em></p>
<p>But accepting Trump’s help comes at a cost – the moral high ground. The Religious Right has always argued that it should dictate the lives of all Americans because it operates according to “biblical principles” – never mind that those principles come from a narrow interpretation of the Bible not backed by all Christians. Trump, of course, seemingly <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/a-week-after-the-release-of-the-infamous-tape-top-religious-right-leaders">does not share those principles</a>. He is a thrice-married reality television star who bragged about sexually assaulting women and never claimed to be a man of deep faith until he ran for president. He has also vowed to oppress religious and ethnic minorities. If that is the sort of ally the far right wants, it cannot credibly claim that its movement is based on anything other than bigotry and a desire for control.</p>
<p>As I reflect on my time at Americans United and this unprecedented election season, I am especially saddened on a personal level by Trump’s <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/there-he-goes-again-trump-repeats-attack-on-johnson-amendment">repeated promise</a> to repeal something called the “Johnson Amendment,” which was added to the federal tax code in 1954 thanks to the support of then-U.S. Sen. Lyndon Johnson (D-Texas). The amendment is intended to keep churches from endorsing or opposing candidates for office so that houses of worship do not turn into tiny political action committees that raise money for politicians.</p>
<p>The idea of doing away with that portion of the tax code really troubles me not only because it is a terrible idea, but also because that provision has a lot to do with why I was hired at Americans United. Before joining AU, I reported on tax issues for non-profits – including the Religious Right’s war on the Johnson Amendment. That is how I learned about Americans United and became invested in its mission. If Trump does as he said he would, I will feel a great sense of loss if something I fought for so long to maintain is killed with a pen stroke by someone who clearly does not understand why it existed in the first place. </p>
<p>Although I am leaving Americans United, the cause of church-state separation will remain deeply important to me and is something I will keep fighting for. The next four years could represent the most serious challenge to that constitutional principle perhaps in the history of the United States. I encourage everyone to stand up for the things that matter to you and to fight when you see bigotry and discrimination in the name of religion.</p>
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</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/responding-common-attacks-church-state-separation">Responding to Common Attacks on Church-State Separation</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/james-dobson">James Dobson</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/small-business-majority">small business majority</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-right-0">Religious Right</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/churches-and-politics">Churches and Politics</a></span></div></div>Mon, 14 Nov 2016 18:36:44 +0000Rob Boston12476 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/my-five-year-fight-against-the-religious-right#commentsDonald Trump Has Been Elected President. What Now?http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/donald-trump-has-been-elected-president-what-now
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>American voters last night decided that Donald J. Trump, a real estate developer and reality TV star with no political experience, should be the next president of the United States.</p>
<p>What happens next? How will Americans United’s issues be affected?</p>
<p>Trump’s victory is extremely troubling because during the campaign, he was often dismissive of church-state separation and meaningful religious liberty. The issues that matter to Americans United seemed to mean little to Trump. He made several proposals that can charitably be described as reckless.</p>
<p>Consider the following:</p>
<p><em>Trump has vowed to </em><a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/there-he-goes-again-trump-repeats-attack-on-johnson-amendment"><em>overturn the federal law</em></a><em> that bars tax-exempt groups, which includes houses of worship, from endorsing or opposing candidates.</em> Prodded by Jerry Falwell Jr., Trump wants to do away with a 62-year-old law that prohibits churches from operating like political action committees. The ill-conceived proposal would politicize houses of worship and create a massive new loophole in the nation’s campaign finance laws.</p>
<p><em>Trump wants to create an expensive, nationwide </em><a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/donald-trump-s-school-choice-plan-doesn-t-make-the-grade"><em>school voucher program</em></a><em> at a staggering price tag of $20 billion.</em> A plan like this would force Americans to fund sectarian instruction against their will and threaten adequate funding for the public school system that serves 90 percent of our nation’s children.</p>
<p><em>Trump has traded in crude forms of Islamophobia and even </em><a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/it-can-happen-here-trump-call-for-excluding-muslims-from-us-has-disturbing"><em>proposed banning Muslims</em></a><em> from entering the country.</em> Trump’s insistence that refugees or others entering the country could somehow be quizzed on their religious beliefs and denied entry if they don’t measure up shows that he has an abysmal understanding of the First Amendment’s religious freedom protections.</p>
<p><em>Trump has proposed putting justices like Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.</em> A <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-republican-convention-2016-live-here-s-the-shortlist-of-11-conservative-1468975724-htmlstory.html">list of potential high court justices</a> that Trump released earlier this year was studded with conservatives. Since there is an opening on the court right now, a Trump appointment could have an immediate effect. And, given the advanced ages of some the justices, more vacancies are likely.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/white%20house.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 534px;" /></p>
<p><em>Much to the surprise of many Americans, Donald Trump will be living here come January.</em></p>
<p><em>Trump supports a bill pending in Congress that would allow people to use religion to discriminate against others.</em> The mis-named “<a href="http://www.protectthyneighbor.org/first-amendment-defense-acts/#FedFADA">First Amendment Defense Act</a>,” is nothing more than a license to take away the rights of and cause harm to LGBTQ Americans, non-believers, members of religious minorities and others.</p>
<p><em>Trump </em><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-tells-coach-fired-praying-football-game/story?id=42534585"><em>offered support</em></a><em> to a Washington state public school football coach who has been told to stop praying with players. </em>Trump told Coach Joe Kennedy of Bremerton High School that what happened to him was “absolutely outrageous. I think it’s outrageous. I think it’s very, very sad and outrageous.” </p>
<p><em>Trump looks to Religious Right figures for advice.</em> His campaign’s <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/meet-donald-trumps-new-evangelical-advisory-board-6a5bfc5460d7#.hm9aadyha">Evangelical Advisory Board</a> was salted with Religious Right zealots. When it came time to pick a running mate, Trump went with Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a Religious Right favorite. Trump and Pence <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/october-2016-church-state/featured/trump-a-palooza">both spoke</a> at this year’s Values Voter Summit, a Religious Right gathering sponsored by the Family Research Council.</p>
<p>Many people are undoubtedly feeling a sense of shock today. Just a few weeks ago, few people were predicting this outcome. Yet here we are. It’s our reality, and we have to deal with it.</p>
<p>We at Americans United can’t say for sure what the future will bring, but we do know this: The followers of the Religious Right are fired up. They’re feeling empowered by Trump’s victory. They will make audacious proposals. They will be more active than ever.</p>
<p>And Americans United will be there to meet them. We’re going to need your help, so suit up and strap in. The road ahead looks to be pretty rough.</p>
<p> </p>
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</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice">Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice in the Workplace</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/joe-kennedy">Joe Kennedy</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/first-amendment-defense-act">First Amendment Defense Act</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mike-pence-family-research-council">Mike Pence. Family Research Council</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/muslims">Muslims</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span></div></div>Wed, 09 Nov 2016 15:49:10 +0000Rob Boston12470 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/donald-trump-has-been-elected-president-what-now#commentsTrump-A-Palooza!http://www.au.org/church-state/october-2016-church-state/featured/trump-a-palooza
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Staring out over a crowd of 3,000 far-right evangelical Christians in Washington, D.C., Sept. 9, Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump assumed an unusual mantle: defender of America’s “Christian heritage.”</p>
<p>“Our Christian heritage will be cherished, protected, defended like you’ve never seen before,” Trump told attendees of the annual Values Voter Summit (VVS). “Believe me. I believe it and you believe it and you know it.”</p>
<p>The real estate developer and former reality TV star went on to claim that officials like Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton “have really abandoned” evangelicals “to a large extent.” But if he wins, Trump pledged to defend the “religious liberty” of all Christians. </p>
<p>The Values Voter Summit, now in its 11th year, has long been a bastion of the “family values” speak that has for decades propped up Religious Right groups. But there was something decidedly different about this year’s confab, which is hosted annually by the Family Research Council (FRC).</p>
<p>While it was still full of all the usual bad ideas, there was one new, clear takeaway: The Religious Right’s hypo­crisy reached new lows. How else to explain that a group of supposedly devout, fundamentalist Christ­ians have thrown their support behind a thrice-married reality television star who has bragged about bedding married women and never claimed to be a man of faith until he started running for president?</p>
<p>Movement leaders twisted themselves into knots to justify their support for Trump. Gary Bauer told a conservative Catholic TV network that all people are sinners who deserve forgiveness – a standard the far right is never willing to extend to liberal politicians. </p>
<p>Given Trump’s history, he didn’t simply waltz into the Religious Right’s good graces on day one. In fact, at last year’s VVS, far-right favorite U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won the presidential straw poll with 35 percent of the vote; Trump, meanwhile, earned just 5 percent. To win over the evangelical crowd, Trump has repeatedly called for allowing houses of worship to engage in partisan politics by endorsing or opposing candidates – a theme he hit hard at the VVS.</p>
<p>“The first thing we have to do is give our churches their voice back,” Trump told a standing-room-only crowd Friday afternoon. “It’s been taken away. The [law] has blocked our pastors and ministers and others from speaking their minds from their own pulpits. If they want to talk about Christianity, if they want to preach, if they want to talk about politics, they’re unable to do so. If they want to do it, they take a tremendous risk of losing their tax-exempt status.”</p>
<p>Trump’s comments were met with loud applause and hoots by Summit attendees, but in reality, the law doesn’t prevent clergy from discussing religious matters in their pulpits – or even political ones. Clergy are free to talk about issues and can even endorse or oppose candidates as private citizens. But they can’t use the resources of their churches to do so.</p>
<p>During the gathering, Trump also vowed to put ultra-conservative judges on the Supreme Court. He reminded attendees that he has put forth a list of 11 potential high court nominees, all vetted by the far-right Federalist Society, and said the next president might shape the high court for a generation.</p>
<p>Trump further pandered to far-right conservatives by pushing a broad “school choice” plan. He unveiled that scheme the day before the VVS and reiterated it during his speech, proposing to create a massive nationwide voucher program in which the federal government would set aside $20 billion in addition to $110 billion from the states. He said that would make available roughly $12,000 in taxpayer dollars per eligible student per year to attend any school – even if that school is religious in nature. Tax credits would be offered to home-schoolers.</p>
<p>“As your president, I will be the biggest cheerleader for school choice you’ve ever seen,” Trump vowed.</p>
<p>Trump wrapped up his nearly hour-long talk by quoting a passage from the biblical book of John. He promised to unite the nation and told the crowd, “Imagine what our country could accomplish if we were one people under one God saluting one flag.”</p>
<p>When the real estate mogul wasn’t on the stump for himself during the confab, surrogates were working on his behalf – though some displayed more enthusiasm than others. Among the most enthusiastic was Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Pence is a longtime ally of the Religious Right, having been rated “True Blue” by FRC, which means he voted the way they wanted 100 percent of the time. Pence attempted to portray Trump as a man of faith – even though he provided scant evidence for his claims.</p>
<p>Calling Trump a “good man who will be a great president,” Pence told a story of an instance on the campaign trail when Trump supposedly asked Pence if he and his family could find some time to pray with him. They did pray together later, Pence said, a development that seemed surprising to the Indiana governor.</p>
<p>“I’ll tell you what, I think at the very core, at the very heart of this good man, is a faith. It’s a faith in God and a faith in the American people,” Pence said. </p>
<p>Another strong Trump supporter was former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.). But even she spent more time trashing Trump’s opponent, Hillary Clinton, than she did touting the reality television star’s credentials.</p>
<p>“Hillary Clinton should be in jail wearing orange,” said Bachmann, referring to Clinton’s problems involving the use of a private email server while she was U.S. secretary of state. “[A]nd more evidence has come out since that is so blatant that she should be brought up by the FBI and recommended for felony charges and actually in time doing jail,” she said, likely misspeaking. </p>
<p>Others did not appear as firmly on board the Trump train – though they nonetheless offered him their backing. During his opening remarks, FRC President Tony Perkins – who had been such a strong Cruz supporter that he once suggested the United States would never have another presidential election if Cruz did not win the White House – failed to mention Trump by name.</p>
<p>“Let’s make America great again,” Perkins said, referring to the real estate mogul’s campaign slogan. That was the only nod he gave to Trump in his speech.</p>
<p>When not talking up Trump, several speakers focused on a favorite topic of the VVS – phony “religious liberty” claims. Kelly Shackelford, head of the Texas-based Religious Right legal group First Liberty Institute, told some tall tales about clients of his group who claimed their “religious freedom” was violated by government officials.</p>
<p>Shackelford told a highly edited version of the story of Lance Cpl. Monifa Sterling, a former U.S. Marine who was kicked out of the military with a bad-conduct discharge after being court-martialed.</p>
<p>Sterling claims she was tossed out of the Marines because she posted religious signs at her workstation. In fact, she was found guilty of repeatedly violating orders. According to her superiors, Sterling neglected to report for duty and failed to wear the required uniform. A federal appeals court recently rejected her case.</p>
<p>“You have to get approval from your superiors before you can exercise your religion,” groused Shackelford.</p>
<p>Shackelford also defended Aaron and Melissa Klein, former owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa. The Oregon bakery got into trouble when the two refused to bake a cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding. They later posted the couple’s personal information online after the two filed a complaint against the company. The same-sex couple got so much hate mail they moved to a different state. The Kleins later lost their “religious freedom” case and were fined $135,000, which they have yet to pay.</p>
<p>A Saturday afternoon session featured three speakers who claimed their religious liberty had been violated – but that’s open to dispute. Among them was Joe Kennedy, a Washington state football coach at a public school who has been told to stop praying with students.</p>
<p>Several AU staffers attended the event to listen to the speeches and collect information. Among them was Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn, who could not help but notice the hypocrisy of evangelicals who are going all out for a candidate who does not seem to live by their professed morals.</p>
<p>“Donald Trump has made hay with right-wing evangelicals by posing as an anti-abortion, Bible-loving politician who will compel people to say ‘Merry Christmas’ and change the law to allow church-based partisan politicking – views he never said a word about until a few months ago,” Lynn said in a media statement. “This election season has exposed the leadership of the Religious Right for the hypocrites that they are. What tiny bit of moral authority the Religious Right had left disappeared when they tossed the moral values they supposedly treasure under the Trump campaign bus before jumping aboard.” </p>
</div></div><a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><h3 >The Religious Right’s 2016 ‘Values Voter Summit’ Was An Extended Campaign Rally For Donald&nbsp;Trump</h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Featured</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-12373" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/october-2016-church-state/people-events/anti-feminist-religious-right-figure-phyllis">Anti-Feminist Religious Right Figure Phyllis Schlafly Dies At Age 92</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/october-2016-church-state/people-events/federal-appeals-court-rules-marine-s-religious">Federal Appeals Court Rules Marine’s Religious Freedom Rights Were Not Violated</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/family-research-council-frc">Family research Council (FRC)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/2016-presidential-election">2016 Presidential Election</a></span></div></div>Fri, 30 Sep 2016 20:00:00 +0000Timothy Ritz12377 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/church-state/october-2016-church-state/featured/trump-a-palooza#commentsValues Void – Some Thoughts From The Pit Of The Summithttp://www.au.org/church-state/october-2016-church-state/perspective/values-void-some-thoughts-from-the-pit-of-the
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Many years ago I was working for the American Civil Liberties Union and made a foolish decision to appear on “The Morton Downey Jr. Show,” a literal scream-fest featuring a chain-smoking, ultraconservative blowhard who made today’s television conservatives like Bill O’Reilly appear to be learned pussycats. </p>
<p>Downey placed guests like me, who he knew would be unpopular, as close as possible (as in, breathing down your neck close) to a sneering group of his barely post-pubescent audience of bellicose know-nothings.</p>
<p>The “Downey” show appearance was the only time in any public venue I felt at risk of being physically attacked – that is, until last month at the Values Voters Summit.</p>
<p>I’ve been attending Religious Right confabs for 25 years now without incident. This year, as I sat and took notes from the third row of the packed ballroom where Donald Trump was giving a major address, I felt as if I were in the middle of a lynch mob. </p>
<p>If Trump – or another speaker that weekend – would have said, “If somebody sitting near you doesn’t stand up for the National Anthem or seems to be snickering, please just punch him or her in the face,” I might have ended up with a black eye.</p>
<p>As I told television newsman Ed Schultz a few days later, the attendees this year seemed to be angrier and nastier than ever before. The rhetoric was more overheated and insulting. The general tone was one suggesting that this election was the last hope for America’s very survival.</p>
<p>How bad did it get? Let me just highlight a few of the popular orators there. U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas (with whom I had a verbal confrontation during a House subcommittee hearing a few years ago) began with what conservatives believe passes for a comedy routine. Gohmert noted that Jesus would not have made fun of people with disabilities, but then chortled that Hillary Clinton was “mentally impaired” and has “special needs.”</p>
<p>The congressman summed up that Christianity is a “religion of love, unlike any other.” (Jews and Buddhists, whose adherents were on that subcommittee panel previously noted, are not promoting love, apparently.)</p>
<p>North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest got worked up about transgender rights. He said it’s an effort to get “little boys and girls to shower together” and to push “the sexual revolution on all of us.”</p>
<p>In the early days of these conferences, critics often noted that Religious Right groups obsessed over things like sex while ignoring issues like poverty and war. </p>
<p>There was a consistency to the far right’s view, at least: They were against contraception and abortion, against civil unions and marriage equality, against “dirty” books and hedonistic pursuits in general. </p>
<p>This year, the Religious Right has attached itself to the candidate who has been married three times, who has bragged about sleeping with married women and who rarely darkens the door of a church.</p>
<p>Ironically, I would bet dollars to doughnuts that most of the people in that room still do not believe that President Barack Obama is a Christian, but their adoption of Donald Trump as a savior of “religious liberty” because of his Christian faith is indisputable.</p>
<p>Trump’s address was filled with examples of how “our Christian heritage” will be “defended like you’ve never seen before” during his administration. This apparently includes creating a mandatory school voucher plan, allowing churches to endorse candidates for public office and making the Supreme Court much more conservative.</p>
<p>Trump included a scriptural note, citing the Gospel of John. (No “2 Corinthians” this time.) He then wrapped up by vowing to make America “one people under one God saluting one flag.”</p>
<p>This suggests that Trump views his presidential role as including converting Americans to one faith under hyper-nationalism. He might want to rethink this view and accept the premise that one of the great things about this country is what emerges from our rich diversity of nationalities and origins – and the multitude of beliefs about religion we hold.<br />
</p>
<p><em>Barry W. Lynn is executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.</em></p>
</div></div><a href="/about/people/barry-w-lynn">Barry W. Lynn</a><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Perspective</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-12373" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span></div></div>Fri, 30 Sep 2016 20:00:00 +0000Timothy Ritz12380 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/church-state/october-2016-church-state/perspective/values-void-some-thoughts-from-the-pit-of-the#commentsOn Constitution Day, Celebrate That Document For What It Really Sayshttp://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/on-constitution-day-celebrate-that-document-for-what-it-really-says
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Whenever I attend Religious Right meetings like the annual <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/a-summit-void-of-values">Values Voter Summit</a>, I hear a lot of talk about the U.S. Constitution.</p>
<p>I wish the far-right activists who talk about that document so much would take a little time to actually read it – especially the sections that deal with religion. Today, the observance of Constitution Day, would be a good time to do that. (The Constitution was approved and signed by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention on Sept. 17, 1787, so tomorrow is the actual anniversary.)</p>
<p>Religion is mentioned only once in the Constitution as originally drafted and once in the Bill of Rights (the Constitution’s first 10 amendments). Neither mention provides aid and comfort to the Religious Right.</p>
<p>Consider the reference to religion in Article VI. It states: “The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; <em>but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States</em>.” (Emphasis mine.)</p>
<p>Take another look at those words: No religious test. That doesn’t mean you can’t be forced to take an exam about religion before assuming public office. It means the people who seek federal office can’t be compelled to believe certain things about religion as a condition of holding that office.</p>
<p>This provision is in there because some states used to do that. They limited public office to Christians, Protestants or at the very least people who professed belief in God.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/US%20constitution.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 534px;" /></p>
<p><em>Sorry, Religious Right, but the Constitution does not establish a 'Christian nation.' </em></p>
<p>Charles Pinckney, a 29-year-old delegate to the Constitutional Convention from South Carolina, wanted to ensure that the federal Constitution contained <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/june-2011-church-state/featured/pinckney%E2%80%99s-promise">no such limitations</a>. There was some opposition to Pinckney’s proposal – one North Carolina delegate fumed about the possibility of “pagans, deists and Mahometans” getting elected to office – but the provision was retained.</p>
<p>James Madison was a big fan of Pinckney’s handiwork. In the Federalist Papers, he called Pinckney’s provision one of the highlights of the Constitution.</p>
<p>Obviously, language stating that people of all faiths and none have the right to seek and hold public office cuts against the “Christian nation” idea so beloved by the Religious Right.</p>
<p>Now let’s take a look at the religion clauses of the First Amendment. They state, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….”</p>
<p>The Religious Right would have us believe that a provision like this, which specifically states a policy of “no preference” toward religion and guarantees religious freedom for all, somehow supports the idea of a “Christian nation.” It doesn’t; in fact, it cuts against that concept.</p>
<p>The Constitution is also notable for what it doesn’t say. The words “Christian,” “God” or “Jesus Christ” appear nowhere in the document. Ours is a secular Constitution, much to the dismay of the Religious Right. (For more info, check out this out <a href="http://www.au.org/resources/publications/is-america-a-christian-nation">this AU pamphlet</a> that debunks the “Christian nation” myth.)</p>
<p>In the face of these facts, some members of the “Christian nation” crowd have resorted to truly absurd arguments. Earl Taylor Jr., who runs Heritage Academy, a charter school in Arizona that is the subject of a <a href="http://www.au.org/content/americans-united-lawsuit-against-heritage-academy-charter-schools">new AU lawsuit</a>, once penned an article titled “Parallel Concepts between the U.S. Constitution &amp; the Bible.” It attempts to prove that the Bible inspired the Constitution – but such links exist only in Taylor’s mind.</p>
<p>In the column, Taylor claims that the passage from the Constitution’s preamble stating, “In order to form a more perfect union…” comes from Genesis 2:24, which reads, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”</p>
<p>A bit of reach there, no?</p>
<p>As we observe Constitution Day, you can do more than celebrate our foundational document. You can debunk the specious claims made by Religious Right activists who, as much as they claim to revere that document, don’t actually understand it.</p>
<p> </p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/history-and-origins-church-state-separation">History and Origins of Church-State Separation</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/constitution">Constitution</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/constitution-day">Constitution Day</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/james-madison">James Madison</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/charles-pinckney">Charles Pinckney</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/article-vi">Article VI</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/earl-taylor-jr">Earl Taylor Jr.</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/heritage-academy">Heritage Academy</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/federalist-papers">Federalist Papers</a></span></div></div>Fri, 16 Sep 2016 14:14:28 +0000Rob Boston12346 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/on-constitution-day-celebrate-that-document-for-what-it-really-says#commentsA Summit Void Of Valueshttp://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/a-summit-void-of-values
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Yesterday AU Communications Associate Rokia Hassanein <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/i-survived-my-first-values-voter-summit-here-s-what-i-thought">wrote about</a> attending the Values Voter Summit (VVS) for the first time. I felt a little guilty throwing her into the abyss when she’s been with AU for less than a month, but Rokia had a good attitude about it. I know she heard and felt some things that surprised her.</p>
<p>I’m much more jaded. This was my 11th Summit. And before there was a VVS, I attended annual meetings of the Christian Coalition; I once even flew to Florida to scope out <a href="http://www.au.org/church-state/april-1999-church-state/featured/reclaiming-america-for-christ">a meeting</a> hosted by the late TV preacher D. James Kennedy. Let’s just say I’ve heard some pretty strange – and infuriating – things over the years.</p>
<p>This year I was especially interested in hearing Donald Trump speak on the afternoon of Sept. 9. I arrived early, but the room was already full. It was standing room only, so I squeezed into the back and found an open part of the wall to lean against.</p>
<p>Actor Jon Voight introduced Trump by informing us “there’s a dark cloud over the country now.” But there’s good news: “If God allows truth to be heard and said, we will see Donald Trump as the next president of this nation. He will lift the dark cloud over this nation.”</p>
<p>Trump then took the stage. He rambled on for nearly an hour. Rarely have I heard anyone talk so long and say so little.</p>
<p>What surprises me most about Trump is how little substance there is behind anything he says. At one point, he vowed to create millions of jobs, something he described as “so easy.”</p>
<p>But of course, I paid the most attention to what Trump said about issues that will affect the separation of church and state. He promised to repeal the federal law that bars tax-exempt entities from intervening in partisan politics by endorsing or opposing candidates for public office, and he vowed to establish a gigantic, nationwide school voucher program.</p>
<p>In both cases, Trump played fast and loose with the facts. He repeated the old chestnut that houses of worship can’t speak on issues and even asserted that the no-politicking rule was causing people to lose interest in religion. (Evidence for this, please?)</p>
<p>“We’re gonna get rid of it so fast,” vowed Trump.</p>
<p>Oh, really? And what might Congress have to say about that? Or, for that matter, the American people, who overwhelmingly <a href="https://baptistnews.com/article/poll-says-most-americans-want-to-keep-political-endorsements-out-of-church/#.V9f0CzXAMvQ">back the law</a>?</p>
<p>On vouchers, Trump just mouthed a string of right-wing talking points about “school choice.” His plan calls for spending upwards of $20 billion in federal money on these plans and forcing states to adopt them as well, whether they want to or not. For good measure, he’d add a homeschooling tax credit. Trump seems to believe this will boost his dismal standing in black and Latino communities – which might be true if minorities supported vouchers, but they don’t. (For more information on this, see my colleague Maggie Garrett’s <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/donald-trump-s-school-choice-plan-doesn-t-make-the-grade">dissection of the Trump voucher plan</a> last week.)</p>
<p>“As your president, I will be the biggest cheerleader for school choice you’ve ever seen,” Trump said.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/Trump%20from%20afar.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /></p>
<p><em>One nation under Trump? A shot from the Values Voter Summit </em></p>
<p>Trump then promised to put far-right justices on the Supreme Court. He noted that there may be as many as three vacancies within the next four years and pointed out that the next president may shape the high court for a generation.</p>
<p>Trump concluded by quoting from the Book of John and then added a hefty dose of nationalism, telling the crowd, “Imagine what our country could accomplish if we were one people under one God saluting one flag.”</p>
<p>I think that was the part that annoyed me the most. Trump is going to unite us? Trump – perhaps the most divisive figure in American politics?</p>
<p>More to the point, who, other than the Religious Right, even wants to be united under one God and one flag? Millions of Americans don’t recognize one God, or they worship more than one, or they have an understanding of God that clashes with the traditional definition. Religious pluralism gives us options, which in turn gives us strength.</p>
<p>I don’t know who gave Trump this line, but he should drop it. Frankly, it has a whiff of fascism about it.</p>
<p>The crowd ate it up, of course. Trump received sustained applause as the 3,000+ attendees leaped to their feet to proclaim Mr. Two Corinthians, a man who has been married three times, says crude things about women and who until last year never said one word about religion or social issues, as their champion.</p>
<p>I’ve seen some strange things at Religious Right gatherings over the years, but I’m not sure I’ll ever top that.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jon-voight">Jon Voight</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/vouchers">vouchers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pulpit-politicking">Pulpit Politicking</a></span></div></div>Tue, 13 Sep 2016 15:35:21 +0000Rob Boston12340 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/a-summit-void-of-values#commentsI Survived My First Values Voter Summit. Here’s What I Thoughthttp://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/i-survived-my-first-values-voter-summit-here-s-what-i-thought
<a href="/about/people/rokia-hassanein">Rokia Hassanein</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>I went to my first Values Voter Summit (VVS) over the weekend, and it was… unique, to say the least.</p>
<p>It was interesting to see a loud majority gather together in a series of events to discuss how oppressed they are for not being able to oppress other people with their religious dogma.</p>
<p>I have too many thoughts. So, I’m going to narrow it down to a few things that popped up to me.</p>
<p><em>The Religious Right [mostly] lived up to its stereotype of Christian privilege.</em> This was the most “privileged” conference I’ve ever attended. It was really hard to not roll my eyes at every complaint about discrimination. If I were to write a synopsis about the VVS, it would be: “Highly privileged majority members of society gather to debate whether they’re oppressed due to their legally limited power to oppress other people.”</p>
<p>The sad part is, most of the people I encountered <em>actually</em> believe their religious freedom is under attack because of the social and political progress for women, the LGBTQ community, refugees, etc. </p>
<p>That’s a huge problem, because many of the attendees and speakers think they own this country and that the rest of us are subgroups of inferiors who should submit to their “biblical” principles. Yeah, no.</p>
<p><em>Nobody at this conference actually understood what religious freedom is!</em> (Exclamation point highly intended)</p>
<p>“Religious freedom” at the VVS = the right of a right wing, evangelical Christian to force his or her religion onto you.<br /><br />
Former U.S. Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) <a href="https://twitter.com/americansunited/status/774407744514207744">said </a>Friday night that he’s “sick and tired of hearing separation of church and state,” and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said, “There is no such thing as freedom from religion – that would allow you to shut everyone else up."</p>
<p>This theme kept occurring with nearly every speaker. Yes, Rep. Gohmert, freedom to reject religion is protected under the First Amendment as much as freedom to embrace faith is. And to West I’d say, it’s too bad if you’re tired to hearing about it, but the Constitution is the law of the land, not the Bible. </p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/Slack%20for%20iOS%20Upload%20%281%29_1.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /></p>
<p><em>Privileged conservative Christians gather to talk about their oppression. </em></p>
<p>Essentially, this crowd is Christians first, Americans second, but they <em>really</em> think that their version of Christianity is their most patriotic trait.<br /><br /><em>These people need a history lesson</em>. Did you know that this country was “built on Christian values?” Oh, yes! You have been reminded by the very historically-aware speakers at the VVS. You’re welcome.</p>
<p>Now, I don’t think Religious Right-style Christians realize that when they say their narrow version of “Christian” values built this country, they’re insulting themselves. When genocide and slavery built up this country and its economy, it’s probably best to not put that under “Christian values,” you feel me? Just a tip.</p>
<p><em>The Religious Right continues to have huge communications problems with minorities</em>. It amazes me that after all these years of complaining about not attracting minorities to their platform, they still continue to alienate us. From women, to people of color, to the LGBTQ community – the Religious Right seems to love isolating itself.</p>
<p>As I was listening to West insult Colin Kaepernick and the Black Lives Matter movement – this, by the way, was a huge hit with the majority-white crowd and gathered many “Amen!”s – I wish I could say I was surprised.<br /><br />
But nope. The Religious Right is still terrified of listening to people’s struggles outside their bubble of privilege. If it’s not “everything about America is great,” then it’s unpatriotic and ungrateful and non-unifying. The thought of equality is the monster under their beds.</p>
<p>And they wonder why so many non-white Christian people aren’t attracted to their platform?</p>
<p><em>Members of the Religious Right genuinely and hilariously think they are saviors, even globally</em>.</p>
<p>One of the worst quotes I heard Friday night came when Oliver North, a Fox News host, said that Christians of his stripe have “become protectors of Muslim women and children.”<br /><br />
Really? The same people gathered at a conference where Focus on the Family founder James Dobson said that Muslim immigration equals Americans wanting to commit suicide (with loud cheers!) believe the far right is <em>protecting </em>Muslim women, through… war? By making them target for evangelism? By denying them basic rights? By not admitting them into this country when they need it?<br /><br />
Having had multiple conversations about this with Muslim women, I promise you, the vast majority do not see these things as protections.</p>
<p>But carry on. The people at the Summit enjoyed talking about how Christianity was all about love, morality and goodness whilst preaching nothing but hatred towards various groups of equal human beings.</p>
<p>I have never witnessed a group more oblivious of their actions. </p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-groups-involvement-in-candidate-elections">Religious Groups’ Involvement in Candidate Elections</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/allen-west">Allen West</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/colin-kaepernick">Colin Kaepernick</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/oliver-north">Oliver North</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/louie-gohmert">louie gohmert</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/black-lives-matter">Black Lives Matter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/social-justice">Social Justice</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/rokia-hassanein">Rokia Hassanein</a></span></div></div>Mon, 12 Sep 2016 15:24:36 +0000Rokia Hassanein12335 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/i-survived-my-first-values-voter-summit-here-s-what-i-thought#commentsNo, We Are Not All ‘One Nation, Under God,’ And That’s Fine http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/no-we-are-not-all-one-nation-under-god-and-that-s-fine
<a href="/about/people/rokia-hassanein">Rokia Hassanein</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A lot of people around the country have been debating whether Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during the national anthem prior to games is an appropriate form of silent protest against racial injustice.</p>
<p>As with any debate this country has about social issues, the level of craziness in public opinion varied. One radio host took a big leap into the abyss by insisting that Kaepernick is breaking the law. Bryan Fischer, who hosts Focal Point on American Family Radio, <a href="https://www.afa.net/the-stand/news/2016/09/yes-virginia-kaepernick-is-breaking-the-law/">wrote</a> a bizarre column making a case for forced patriotism.</p>
<p>(Fischer, you might recall, is the guy whose views are so extreme that even the Values Voter Summit stopped inviting him.)</p>
<p>“Will he get thrown in jail for it? No,” Fischer wrote. “There is no question that Kaepernick is violating federal law by kneeling or sitting rather than standing and placing his hand over his heart while the national anthem is played.”</p>
<p>Wait, his explanation is even better.</p>
<p>“<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Code">According to Wikipedia</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Code">,</a> the U.S. Code is ‘The Code of Laws of the United States of America is the official compilation and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codification_(law)">codification</a> of the general and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_the_United_States#Federal_law">permanent federal statutes </a>of the United States,” he continued.</p>
<p>While I admire his laziness to cite Wikipedia sources and then put his byline on it like it’s scholarly, this column was a downward spiral that made my brain hurt. Fischer goes on to rant about how non-military members have to stand and put their right hand over their heart, based on language in <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/301%2036%20U.S.%20Code%20%C2%A7%20301%20-%20National%20anthem">36 U.S. Code Section 301, </a>which suggests they “should.” </p>
<p>“I find nothing remotely ambiguous about this statute. Americans ‘should’ stand with their right hand over the heart during the anthem,” Fischer wrote. “If you look up the word ‘should’ in the dictionary, the first meaning you’ll read identifies it as a word ‘used to indicate obligation (or) duty.’ In other words, it’s not a suggestion.”</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/138710943_0.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 534px;" /></p>
<p><em>Not doing this is illegal, Fischer seriously argues. </em></p>
<p>Although he’s entitled to a wrong interpretation of the English language, “should” doesn’t mean “must.” You should eat vegetables and fruits to balance your diet, but quite frankly, you don’t have to, and your doctor can’t force you.</p>
<p>So when it comes to standing during the National Anthem or Pledge of Allegiance, the First Amendment grants Kaepernick the option of sitting or kneeling instead of standing. It’s not unpatriotic, but even if it was, it’s unconstitutional to force patriotism onto someone.</p>
<p>But Fischer is really into enforcing patriotism and God onto everybody in this country.</p>
<p>“To paraphrase Mark Twain, patriotism means loving your country all the time and supporting your government when it’s right,” he wrote. “The flag doesn’t stand for this administration or any other, it stands for our one indivisible nation under God.”</p>
<p>Except for some people, Fischer, “under God,” isn’t applicable; therefore forcing them to stand violates their First Amendment right to religious freedom.</p>
<p>Previous Supreme Court dealing with mandatory flag salutes and Pledge recitations don’t help Fischer’s stance, which was apparently too much research beyond Wikipedia for him to conduct. </p>
<p>Although the Supreme Court upheld the expulsion of Jehovah's Witnesses public school students in the 1940 case, <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/310us586"><em>Minersville School District v. Gobitis</em></a>, for refusing to salute the flag or recite the Pledge, they quickly changed their course.</p>
<p>In the 1943 <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/319us624"><em>West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette</em></a> case, they overturned a West Virginia law that required public school students to salute the flag and recite the pledge of allegiance, declaring such requirements a violation of their First Amendment rights. </p>
<p>Perhaps Fischer didn’t get that far in his Wikipedia history course, though. </p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/pledge-allegiance">Pledge of Allegiance</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/colin-kaepernick">Colin Kaepernick</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/bryan-fischer">Bryan Fischer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/supreme-court">Supreme Court</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-right-0">Religious Right</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/first-amendment">First Amendment</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/rokia-hassanein">Rokia Hassanein</a></span></div></div>Fri, 09 Sep 2016 15:15:20 +0000Rokia Hassanein12333 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/no-we-are-not-all-one-nation-under-god-and-that-s-fine#commentsReligious Right Support For Donald Trump Exposes Movement’s Values Void, Says Americans Unitedhttp://www.au.org/media/press-releases/religious-right-support-for-donald-trump-exposes-movement-s-values-void-says
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Thousands of conservative evangelicals will converge on Washington, D.C., this weekend for the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit to proclaim a thrice-married, coarse reality TV star as their standard-bearer.</p>
<p>It’s a move that exposes the desperation and hypocrisy of the Religious Right, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.</p>
<p>“Imagine an alternate universe where the Democratic nominee is a twice-divorced, religiously indifferent pop culture figure from a garish reality TV show who brags about the married women he has slept with and is enamored with a Russian dictator,” said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Religious Right support would be inconceivable.</p>
<p>“Donald Trump has made hay with right-wing evangelicals by posing as an anti-abortion, Bible-loving politician who will compel people to say ‘Merry Christmas’ and change the law to allow church-based partisan politicking – views he never said a word about until a few months ago,” Lynn added.</p>
<p>He concluded, “This election season has exposed the leadership of the Religious Right for the hypocrites that they are. What tiny bit of moral authority the Religious Right had left disappeared when they tossed the moral values they supposedly treasure under the Trump campaign bus before jumping aboard.”</p>
<p>Lynn, a Christian minister and an attorney, has led Americans United for 25 years. He’s a longtime observer of the Religious Right and is available for media interviews before, during and after the Values Voter Summit.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/family-research-council-frc">Family research Council (FRC)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tony-perkins">Tony Perkins</a></span></div></div><h3 >Family Research Council And Other Groups Would Excoriate A Democrat Who Had GOP Candidate’s Background, Says Church-State&nbsp;Watchdog</h3>Thu, 08 Sep 2016 15:22:46 +0000Timothy Ritz12330 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/media/press-releases/religious-right-support-for-donald-trump-exposes-movement-s-values-void-says#commentsTrump’s Veep Pick Is A Favorite Of The Religious Right http://www.au.org/church-state/september-2016-church-state/people-events/trump-s-veep-pick-is-a-favorite-of-the
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump in July selected Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate, a move signaling that the controversial real estate mogul and reality TV star is continuing his aggressive courting of the Religious Right in the hopes of achieving victory this fall.</p>
<p>Americans United issued a press statement noting that Pence is a favorite of the Religious Right. A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Pence spoke to the Christian Coalition in 2004 and more recently has made several appearances before the Values Voter Summit (VVS), a conference sponsored every fall in Washington, D.C., by the Family Research Council (FRC).</p>
<p>In 2010, Pence told VVS attendees, “Our present crisis is not merely economic and political but spiritual” and insisted that economic concerns can never trump moral principles. He also vowed that the GOP will remain focused on opposing legal abortion and marriage equality.</p>
<p>In 2011, Pence said something similar while addressing the Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition, a group run by former Christian Coalition operative Ralph Reed.</p>
<p>“To have a lasting victory for our values, we have to recognize that the present crisis is not just economic and political but moral in nature,” Pence said. “The truth is, we’ve got to get back to basics. We will not solve the crisis facing this country economically or politically by public policy alone. It will require public virtue…We must again say yes to the importance of organized religion in our everyday life.”</p>
<p>The FRC rates Pence “True Blue,” which means he has voted in accordance with that group 100 percent of the time.</p>
<p>AU also noted that Pence has a long history of trying to restrict Americans’ access to the courts in church-state cases. In 2003, when he was in the House, Pence co-sponsored U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt’s (R-Ala.) “Ten Commandments Defense Act.” Among other things, this reckless “states’ rights” bill would have ordered the federal courts to stay out of lawsuits challenging government-backed Ten Commandments displays in the states. Under the law, people who were offended by such displays would have had no ability to challenge them in court.</p>
<p>In 2004, Pence backed a package of bills introduced by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). Among the bills was a measure designed to strip the federal courts of the power to hear certain types of church-state cases. Pence told “Family News in Focus” that the bill would “bring an end to the judicial activism that has resulted almost in legislating from the bench.”</p>
<p>Later that year, Pence introduced a bill written by Roy Moore, the infamous Alabama Supreme Court chief justice, which would have amended federal law to strip the U.S. Supreme Court’s power to hear cases involving government “acknowledgment of God as the sov­ereign source of law, liberty, or government.” The measure, which would have applied to cases retro­actively and thus nullified decades of church-state law, would also have forbidden lower federal courts from hearing such disputes.</p>
<p>Pence is a big fan of posting religious mottos on government buildings. In 2011, he backed a House measure endorsing the display of “In God We Trust” signs in public facilities. The vote, clearly designed to placate the Religious Right, was important, Pence said, because, “I think God…rewards those, including nations, who earnestly seek him.”</p>
<p>As governor of Indiana, Pence has been criticized for failing to support public education. Under his governorship, Indiana passed a sweeping school voucher bill that Americans United and other critics said funnels taxpayer dollars to unaccountable private and religious schools.</p>
<p>But Pence is perhaps best known for his opposition to LGBT rights. As governor, Pence in 2015 signed into law an extreme measure that purported to protect “religious freedom” but that in reality gave citizens of Indiana the right to use religion as a pretext to discriminate. When Pence signed the law, he was flanked by several anti-LGBT activists. An ensuing national backlash and threats of boycotts consumed the country for days. Under duress, Pence agreed to alter the legislation.</p>
</div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-refusals-and-rfra">Religious Refusals and RFRA</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-12294" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">September</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2016</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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<h3>Featured Articles</h3>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/featured/massachusetts-mistake">Massachusetts Mistake</a></h3>
<h4>Americans United Challenges Compelled Taxpayer Support For Houses Of Worship In The Bay State</h4> </div>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/featured/trumpeting-church-politicking">Trumpeting Church Politicking</a></h3>
<h4>In A Bid For Evangelical Support, GOP Presidential Hopeful Calls For Politicizing America’s Pulpits</h4> </div>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/featured/darrow-in-dayton">Darrow In Dayton?</a></h3>
<h4>Ninety-One Years After The Famous ‘Monkey Trial,’ Clarence Darrow May Be Returning To Rhea County, Tenn.</h4> </div>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/featured/au-in-action">AU in Action</a></h3>
<h4>AU Staff Members And Volunteers Promote Church-State Separation Nationwide</h4> </div>
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<div class="cs-department" id="section-people--events"> <h3>People &amp; Events</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/people-events/house-republicans-hold-hearing-on-first">House Republicans Hold Hearing On ‘First Amendment Defense Act’</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/people-events/trump-s-veep-pick-is-a-favorite-of-the">Trump’s Veep Pick Is A Favorite Of The Religious Right </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/people-events/federal-court-strikes-down-miss-religious">Federal Court Strikes Down Miss. ‘Religious Freedom’ Legislation </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/people-events/au-files-court-brief-in-mo-church-playground">AU Files Court Brief In Mo. Church Playground Tax-Funding Case</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/people-events/alabama-chief-justice-to-face-trial-again-on">Alabama Chief Justice To Face Trial Again On Ethics Charges</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/people-events/americans-united-settles-lawsuit-over-license">Americans United Settles Lawsuit Over License Plate Denial In N.J.</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-books--ideas"> <h3>Books &amp; Ideas</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/books-ideas/requiem-for-a-dream">Requiem for a Dream?</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-viewpoint"> <h3>Viewpoint</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/viewpoint/required-worship">Required Worship</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/perspective/transgender-rights-the-far-right-and-a-new-wave">Transgender Rights: The Far Right And A New Wave Of Discrimination</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/editorial/judging-judges-let-s-have-more-talk-about-the">Judging Judges: Let’s Have More Talk About The Courts</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/editorial/pulpit-politicking-trump-proposal-is-a-huge">Pulpit Politicking: Trump Proposal Is A Huge Mistake</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/au-bulletin/supreme-court-declines-to-hear-wash-pharmacy">Supreme Court Declines To Hear Wash. Pharmacy Case </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/au-bulletin/us-house-passes-so-called-conscience-bill">U.S. House Passes So-Called ‘Conscience’ Bill </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/au-bulletin/ky-governor-intervenes-in-first-amendment-case">Ky. Governor Intervenes In First Amendment Case</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/au-bulletin/au-legal-director-argues-nevada-voucher-case">AU Legal Director Argues Nevada Voucher Case</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/au-bulletin/fundamentalist-legislators-lose-primaries-in">Fundamentalist Legislators Lose Primaries In Two States</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/au-bulletin/va-official-moves-to-ban-offensive-books-from">Va. Official Moves To Ban ‘Offensive’ Books From Schools</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/au-bulletin/nj-city-sends-curfew-violators-to-church">N.J. City Sends Curfew Violators To Church</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/september-2016-church-state/au-bulletin/around-the-world-irish-schools-consider">Around The World: Irish Schools Consider Reducing Religious Education</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/gov-mike-pence">Gov. Mike Pence</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/indiana">Indiana</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/values-voter-summit">Values Voter Summit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/lgbt-rights">LGBT rights</a></span></div></div>Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:37:40 +0000Timothy Ritz12312 at http://www.au.orghttp://www.au.org/church-state/september-2016-church-state/people-events/trump-s-veep-pick-is-a-favorite-of-the#comments